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The sword warriors of Namgung Family, who were sitting with their backs against the wall, looked up at the ceiling in silence. Even though so many people were gathered in the room, no one spoke.

It was an atmosphere that cannot be described even with the word gloomy.

Amidst this heavy silence in the room, Namgung Dan sighed silently.

Normally, he would have tried to lift the sagging spirits somehow. Of course, it is Namgung Dowi’s role to lead them. However, supporting him in areas where Sogaju couldn’t directly intervene had always been Namgung Dan’s responsibility.

But, unfortunately, the current Namgung Dan does not have the luxury of considering other people’s feelings.

Why would he? The most significant contribution to this dreadful atmosphere was Namgung Dan himself.

He raised his hand to rub his face.

It is a terrible defeat that cannot be expressed in words. The fact that he couldn’t even retaliate properly against Tang Soso, who hadn’t been learning the sword for even five years, blew away the slightest excuse he had left.

What could he possibly say in this situation?

‘How….’

Tang Soso’s sword, flying towards his head, still vivid to his eyes.

What made it unbearable was that there wasn’t a single aspect of her that could be considered a fluke.

He was outmatched even in the basics.

The power contained in the sword. The precision of the movements, and even the internal energy.

He fail to understand how on earth he, who had dedicated over twenty years to the sword, be outclassed in the basics by Tang Soso? It was incomprehensible.

“….How could this happen?”

Someone’s whispered voice turned all eyes in the room.

Namgung Hyuk murmured with a lost look on his face.

“How… We….”

There was only silence. No one could answer.

“Hyung-nim, did we do something wrong?”

“….”

“How could we to Noonim…”

“Stop.”

Namgung Dan cut off Namgung Hyuk’s words in a slightly annoyed voice.

“Stop it. It’s disgraceful.”

“Hyung-nim….”

“No matter how many excuses you make, the fact won’t change. We lost. And it was a complete defeat.”

“….”

“Is there any other reason? We were just weaker than Soso Noonim.”

“Don’t you think it is precisely because of that this doesn’t make sense?”

Namgung Dan burst out laughing.

‘Doesn’t make sense….’

What can they do about it?

Certainly, by all common sense he knew, it shouldn’t have happened. But didn’t that actually happen? If so, the conclusion is obvious.

“Then our common sense must be wrong.”

“Hyung-nim!”

Namgung Dan glared at Namgung Hyuk with sunken eyes.

“What? You gonna insist it’s not true?”

“Tha- That’s….”

“Or are you planning to pick up the sword and fight her again yourself?”

Namgung Hyuk eventually lowered his head. He knows it too.

No matter how unfair it is, no matter how much they shout about it, the fundamental skill gap will not be narrowed. They couldn’t compete with Tang Soso as they were.

“…It’s because I really don’t understand, Hyung-nim.”

Hearing Namgung Hyuk’s faint voice, Namgung Dan rubbed his face with his hand. Even he couldn’t understand it.

But….

“There is no need to understand.”

“Yes?”

“You just have to accept it. The fact is that we are weaker than the later disciples of Mount Hua.”

“……”

The sword warriors of Namgung Family hung their heads.

Namgung Dan spoke in a slightly self-mocking tone.

“We have already seen them in action at Plum Blossom Island. Haven’t we?”

“…Yes.”

“Nevertheless, we never fully acknowledged them. Even though we watched with our own eyes as they unilaterally wiped out the pirates that we could not even lay a hand, we arbitrarily convinced ourselves that they were able to do so well because of something other than their abilities.”

Even as he spoke, Namgung Dan’s face showed a look of desperation.

“We risked our lives to exhaust the pirates, so they could have played a part in the belated appearance. If the positions had been reversed, we would have been able to unilaterally wipe out the pirates…. Well, or so we thought.”

“Hyung-nim….”

“But.”

Namgung Dan slowly shook his head.

“I understand after experiencing it. They just…… Right, just that they are stronger than us.”

He never wanted to admit it, but now he had to accept the fact.

Even Tang Soso is that strong.

So, how strong are the disciples who entered Mount Hua before Tang Soso are now? Also, how great is the skill of Mount Hua Five Swords, who are said among the greatest Mount Hua’s disciples?

‘Can Sogaju be able to deal with them?’

If it had been just a day ago, Namgung Dan would have confidently said “Yes”. Namgung Dowi is Namgung Dowi. Because his skills are on a different level from other young sword warriors of Namgung.

But now, he couldn’t be so sure.

“But, Hyung-nim.”

Namgung Hyuk said as if he still didn’t understand.

“We… haven’t we also been working hard?”

Namgung Dan understood Namgung Hyuk’s frustration.

Were they really lazy? No, absolutely not.

Namgung, humiliated at the Yangtze Disaster, had tried their best to seek revenge against Evil Sects for the past three years. Nevertheless, how on earth should they explain the gap that has widened so much?

“Hyuk.”

“Yes, Hyung-nim.”

“Have you seen Soso Noonim’s hands?”

“….”

Namgung Hyuk shut his mouth. Namgung Dan glanced at everyone watching.

To persuade someone, you need to find a reason that even you can believe. He’s not completely convinced yet, but when he was in the position of persuading Namguhng Hyuk, he saw something that had not been visible until now.

“Let me see your hands.”

“….”

“Stretch it out.”

Namgung Hyuk hesitantly held out his hand. There are several scars on his hands as well. However, the number of scars was incomparable to those engraved on Tang Soso’s hands.

Namgung Dan, who had been observing the hand in silence, slowly opened his mouth.

“I… I remember the past Soso Noonim.”

“Yes?”

“She was so beautiful.”

The eyes of Namgung sword warriors narrowed for a moment. At that reaction, Namgung Dan was startled and hastily waved his hand.

“N- No! I don’t mean that…!”

Embarrassed by the misunderstanding, he coughed awkwardly with a red face.

“Soso Noonim’s hands used to be very white and clean. Those white hands seen below the luxurious sleeves matched perfectly with the phrase ‘delicate beauty.’”

Some who remembered the old Tang Soso nodded in agreement.

“But what about Soso Noonim’s hands now?”

Many became solemn at his words. The hands of Dang Soso they saw this time were simply those of a swordsman. Hands covered in calluses and scars.

ust by looking at her hands, one could guess how tough her training had been. She had endured harsh times to the point of completely losing her original hands.

Namgung Dan spread his hands wide. And he looked at the scars on those hands.

“We worked hard?”

“….”

“I suppose so. Yes, we must have tried. But… it seems our ‘effort’ and their ‘effort’ are different. Seeing how clean my own hands are despite training longer tells me that.”

“……Hyung-nim.”

Namgung Dan felt a renewed sense of shame.

He thought he had worked hard. He believed he lived more diligently than anyone. But his hands didn’t accumulate the traces of his efforts.

Even as the sword warriors of Mount Hua swung their swords again and again until both hands were covered in scars, they had been complacent with the same old training.

“Did we really make an effort?”

“….”

“Can we really say proudly in front of them? That we worked as hard as them? We, who raised our voices complaining about the pain from just a few days of training, did we really try?”

No one could answer him.

Because they realize it too.

The training they had criticized as mere overexertion was something the disciples of Mount Hua routinely endured. Even with an intensity several times higher than what Namgung sword warriors had done for several days.

Namgung Dan sighed deeply. What started as an attempt to calm them had become a speech filled with sincere sentiment.

“Discussing talent, circumstances, or the superiority of swordsmanship has meaning only among those who have put in the same effort. We have no right to discuss swords with them.”

The sword warriors of Namgung Family, whose faces were stained red, could not bear to raise their heads.

“What makes me even more ashamed is…”

Namgung Dan bit his lip.

“Even though we clearly witnessed the end of those who died to save us on Plum Blossom Island, we still could not give up our useless pride.”

“……That’s…”

“Is it really so shameful to learn from Mount Hua?”

When he asked the question, he let out a hollow laugh.

“At least now, I find it far more shameful to be flaunting my pride while knowing there are those who work harder than me.”

No one answered. They just bowed their heads.

“I will participate in tomorrow’s training.”

“Hyung-nim….”

“I have no intention of forcing anyone. It’s everyone’s choice. But I… if there’s a chance to become stronger, if there’s a way to regain the honor of Namgung Family, I won’t hesitate. I plan to test my limits rather than just talk about them like I have done so far.”

Namgung Dan stood up. Then he turned his gaze and looked at the person sitting in the corner.

Namgung Dowi. He was looking at Namgung Dan in silence.

Namgung Dan bit his lip slightly.

‘Sogaju must have already known.’

The insurmountable gap between Mount Hua and Namgung. How frustrating must it have been to watch them, only flaunting their pride?

Namgung Dan bowed his head deeply towards Namgung Dowi. And then he went out without any hesitation.

A heavy silence fell in his absence. The sword warriors of Namgung Family, leaning against the wall, sank into deep thought.

Namgung Dowi, who was sitting in the corner, smiled a little at the sight.

‘It’s just the starting point.’

They’ve finally reached the starting line, after going in circles. To run forward, one must first understand where they stand.

This night will probably be very long for them.

Because they have to find the answers to questions that no one else can answer for them.

But Namgung Dowi believed in them.

At least if they are people who know the weight of the name Namgung, whatever choice they make deserves respect.

Namgung Dowi was just going to watch over those choices…

“Sogaju-nim.”

“Huh?”

At that time, Namgung Hyuk sneakily approached him. Namgung Dowi asked with a puzzled look on his face.

“…What is it?”

Then, as if he was hesitating, he looked at Namgung Dowi’s eyes and cautiously opened his mouth.

“I… Sogaju-nim, if it’s not too much trouble… there’s something I’d like to ask.”